Fox News’ Jesse Watters rips Gavin Newsom for linking him to Paul Pelosi attack

Fox News host Jesse Watters ripped into California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday night after the Democratic leader accused him of “aiding and abetting” the hammer attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband last week.

Watters’ comments, delivered during his Fox News show, came in response to Newsom’s accusations that were leveled against him in a CBS News interview that aired Saturday.

The Fox News host turned the tables, instead accusing Newsom of doing more to “aid and abet” the man suspected of brutally assaulting Paul Pelosi “than anybody.”

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom is running for president. So, when a mentally ill homeless drug addict who has committed crime after crime in his state, and was never deported, attacks Paul Pelosi with a hammer, Gavin Newsom has to blame anybody but himself,” Watters said.

“Gavin Newsom thinks if you mock a Democrat it puts them on a target list,” Watters continued, saying that his show “fairly covered” Paul Pelosi’s May drunk driving crash and noting that DePape was reportedly in search of Nancy Pelosi, not Paul, during the home invasion.

“If anything, Gavin Newsom has done more to aid and abet this attack on Paul Pelosi than anybody,” Watters argued, citing 42-year-old suspect David DePape’s criminal history and his alleged illegal immigration status.

In Saturday’s interview, Newsom not only laid blame on Watters, but also called out the Fox News network.

“I’ve seen the dehumanization of Nancy Pelosi,” Newsom had said. “I don’t think anyone’s been dehumanized like she has consistently.”

The liberal governor of the Golden State accused Watters of “mocking” Paul Pelosi for months, which the governor claims may have contributed to the break-in at Pelosi’s San Francisco home.  

“Now I watched this one guy, Jesse Watters or something on Fox News. What he’s been saying about Paul Pelosi the last five, six months, mocking him consistently. Don’t tell me that’s not aiding and abetting all this. Of course it is,” Newsom said.  

“They’re sowing the seeds, creating a culture and a climate like this,” the California governor added. “I mean, look online. Look at the sewage that is online that they amplify on these networks and in social media to dehumanize people like Nancy Pelosi and other political leaders.” 

DePape was slapped with federal charges Monday for the Friday morning attack on Paul Pelosi that left him with a fractured skull.

He allegedly planned to kneecap the speaker of the House and hold her hostage, according to a sworn affidavit, but she wasn’t home at the time of the attack.

DePape has been linked by name to conspiracy blogs and relatives and acquaintances have said that he frequently shared conspiracies on Facebook and seemed “out of touch with reality.”

Newsom also implied during his interview with CBS that he has been on the receiving end of threats that have become more serious. 

“I know what over the last three years has come in my inbox,” he said. “Trust me, you don’t, because I’m not sharing it. I don’t even share it with my wife. I got four kids. So I know a little bit about this. I mean, it wasn’t just a recall against me. It was surround sound in every way, shape or form.” 

“Look, there’s always folks in the extreme and you roll your eyes,” he added. “This is — something is different here. There’s, you know, the mind is being stretched. People feel free to shove again.” 

President Biden on Friday denounced the attack against Paul Pelosi as “political violence” and linked it to the Capitol riot during remarks at a fundraiser for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. 

“There is no place in America — there’s too much violence, political violence, too much hatred, too much vitriol, and what makes us think that one party can talk about stolen elections, COVID being a hoax — this is all a bunch of lies — and it not affect people who may not be so well balance,” Biden said.